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TAGAYTAY CITY | Travel Guide + Itinerary + Budget + Map

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Tagaytay City, the nearest and most accessible weekend get-away from Metro Manila, is one of the most loved tourist spots in the Philippines. Located in the province of Cavite, it hosts a number of scenic spots, delectable food places and fun activities suited for couples, families, barkada, and even the solitary traveler. Located a couple of hours away from the bustle of the metro, it provides a cool and breezy vacation place to soothe frayed nerves and bestow a renewed sense of vitality to city-worn souls. Much has been written about Tagaytay, but for those new in the city, a travel guide and a sample itinerary is an invaluable resource for a trip at one of the coolest places this side of the Philippines.

► HOW TO GET TO TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay City is located fifty-five kilometers south of Metro Manila. It is easily accessible by air-conditioned public transportations via buses and vans from city terminals around Metro Manila. Driving to Tagaytay City by car is also a breeze.

Besides the San Agustin EDSA Rotunda terminal and the Nasugbu Terminal in Buendia, there are three other main public bus terminals in Metro Manila where you can catch a ride to Tagaytay. The first one, which has been closed previously, is the Park & Ride in Lawton, Manila[GPS MAP]. The second one is at the South West Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal in Uniwide Coastal Mall, Pasay City, this is a temporary terminal and would soon be closed by MMDA as they slowly transfer the service to the third place you can get a ride to Tagaytay, HK Sun Plaza[GPS MAP], which is also in Pasay City.

○ MANILA TO TAGAYTAY BY VAN ○ 1.5 TO TWO HOURS TRAVEL TIME ○ FARE FROM PHP180.00 +/-

Taking a van or FX is another alternative in going to Tagaytay. Although it is much more expensive than a bus, travel time is faster since it goes through SLEX and bypasses the traffic-ridden roads of Cavite. Its terminals are located at the EGI Mall near the LRT Gil Puyat Station[GPS MAP] (Taft Avenue cor. Buendia, 6:00am to 8:00pm), StarMall Mandaluyong [GPS MAP] (EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd.), Metropoint Mall at Edsa Rotunda[GPS MAP] and at the back of McDonald’s at the Edsa-Taft MRT Station [GPS MAP].

○ MANILA TO TAGAYTAY BY PRIVATE CAR ○ ONE TO 1.5 HOURS TRAVEL TIME

Driving to Tagaytay City via private car is easy enough. Drive through SLEX and take the Sta. Rosa Exit. From there, it’s a straight drive to Tagaytay City. As you arrive at the Olivarez Rotunda, turn right to go to the restaurants in Magallanes Square and turn left if you want to visit People’s Park and Picnic Grove.

► HOW TO GET AROUND IN TAGAYTAY

The main mode of transportation in Tagaytay is the jeepney. Minimum fare is at PHP8.00 but tourist stops are quite a distance away from each other. Ask the driver how much the fare is to your destination. There are also tricycles available but they’re mostly relegated to the side streets that connect to the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway. There are no taxis, Uber or Grab in Tagaytay City.

► WHERE TO STAY IN TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay City is replete with numerous high-end hotels and inns that can accommodate the A, B, and C crowds. They have huge five-star and boutique hotels for those with deep pockets, they have beautiful bed and breakfasts for mid-level tourists, and inns and hostels for thrifty backpackers. Below are some of the places me and my friends have actually stayed on at Tagaytay.

► WHERE TO EAT IN TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay tourists wouldn’t run out of places to eat while in the city, their main specialty being bulalo. A hot bowl fits the area’s cool weather quite well. If you want to avoid the cholesterol levels of this dish however, the place is also replete with all sorts of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines, be it Filipino, American, Chinese, etc. For those on a budget, carinderia stalls, gotohan and eateries also abound along the city’s Nasugbu-Tagaytay Highway.

► WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay City and its surrounding towns offer a lot of fun activities and places to visit for the weekend tourists. There are picnic grounds, tree-covered parks, hidden gardens, biking, horse-riding grounds and a host of other activities fit for both the young and the old.

► WHAT TO BUY IN TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay City is known for two things, affordable beef meat and buko pies. But dig some more and you’d find other noteworthy pasalubong from this misty city like honey bee products, tarts, jams, pinipig, knives made from its neighboring province of Batangas, and the usual keychains and souvenir shirts.

► TAGAYTAY TOURIST SPOT MAP

► SAMPLE TAGAYTAY ITINERARY & TRAVEL BUDGET GUIDE

A day tour is enough to cover most of the tourist attractions in Tagaytay City but extending overnight is definitely better, as you get to experience the night life at the restaurants along the Magallanes area. Nothing beats having coffee or beer in the evening with Tagaytay’s cool weather and the lights of the Taal as your backdrop.

Tourists also have the option of visiting the Taal Volcano, which is accessible via the town of Talisay in Batangas. For this Tagaytay itinerary, the majority of the second day’s expenses are from the Taal Volcano tour. It is a bit expensive, so it’s really up to you if you want to proceed with it or simply stay at Tagaytay itself, have a food trip and enjoy its cool weather—which is infinitely cheaper.

Very nice guide, Christian. Salamat sa pagpromote sa bayan ko hihi! I'd include LZM, Pancake House (the steak/beef is of better quality in that branch, I tell you), Sonya's Garden and the tiny panaderia near my place called Junil's (24-hour pandesal) to the list of eateries. Also, a short day trip to beaches of Nasugbu from Aguinaldo Highway would be great for those 3 day weekends :)

Hi Dennis, the last time I dropped by Buendia, I asked if there are still vans going to Tagaytay and it seems wala na yata. Don't worry I'll ask around again and update the travel guide next time I pass by the place. :)

Thanks for this itinerary Christian, we're off this Holiday (June 12, 2014) with my friends to Tagaytay and luckily came across your site, you just saved us from a headache planning the trip...heheheheh. We'll be doing a day-tour so your itinerary is just perfect. Thanks so much again... c",)

Hi! This is so helpful! Thanks so much for posting this. By the way, can I ask for a larger copy of the Map please? We would like to use it as our guide in our adventure in Tagatay. Thank you in advance! :) - Joyce

Budget would depend on a lot of things, are you going there by car? Where are you gonna eat, how much are you gonna eat? Are you going to stay overnight? Where are you going to stay. It all depends on you guys :)

Hi, just stumbled on this via google since I've been looking for a good itinerary to Tagaytay and I find this very useful. Will try this out since we're planning to celebrate anniversary there. By the way, I just have a question, ito po bang itinerary na ito, are the places close to each other as they were listed.? Kasi, we plan to just commute in Tagaytay para mas adventurous. Mas ok po kasi kung malaman namin if these places are close, para hindi na pabalik-balik kung sakali. But then, thanks for the idea this post has given me. But I'll be more thankful if you could answer my question. Hehe. :)

Hi! My mom and I we're planning to spend christmas in tagaytay. I already booked for 2 nights in viewpark hotel. Can you help us in our itinerary please?? This are the places we wanted to visit sana kaya lang im not sure if magkakalapit sila.

hi christian!am planning to take a van to tagaytay on a friday afternoon.saw in your article that the info about vans in egi jollibee in LRT taft corner buendia was slashed out.does this mean they aren't found there anymore? :(thanks!

Hi Anne, as far as I know, the vans from Buendia that goes to Tagaytay are already out of service. There are however buses near the area that serves the Tagaytay-Nasugbu route. What you can do is check out the vans if they're still there, if they're not, just take the buses right across the street. Good luck on your Tagaytay trip and let me know how it turns out. :)

Hello Christian! I found your site while searching for info about Tagaytay, I am planning to do a day tour ...Great site and very informative. I am a Filipino and this will be my first time to be back after 25 years. I am sure ibang iba na. Thanks! from Pedro

Hi, I'm not really sure what's the earliest time the buses for Tagaytay leave from Coastal Mall. Just to be sure, you might want to head over to Edsa Rotunda below MRT Taft, where they start at 4am. They usually drop Tagaytay tourists at Magallanes Square (in front of the Tagaytay Ridge where Starbucks is located).

Regarding your PM, I recommend around 8pm for going back to Manila. Not that much commuters by that time and no more traffic too. :)

It's a lovely post REALLY. you captured it all Please tell me is it a good enough place to stay there with my girlfriend for 3 days.? I am going to meet her from London for the first time. It's our 1st meeting ever

Hi Sikander, if you take it slow, three days in Tagaytay is perfect. Be sure to book in on a beautiful resort to make it more romantic. Check out the list of hotels in Tagaytay here: http://goo.gl/XMPAGX

HiI am an Indian.I am planing a day tour to Tagatay. Leave Manila by early morning say 7 AM an then come back from Tagatay at evening 5 PM. Just wanted to visit People's park..I have a 2 yrs old kid. Is the Bus good for us? Is the duration good?

Hi, Christian! I'm from Davao and my family (2 Adults and 2 Teens) will be staying in Nuvali for 2 nights next week. During our stay, we plan to have a daytrip to Tagaytay. However, I wonder if it would be possible for us to visit some points of interest without a car. Here are the places we'd like to visit:1) Church2) Museo Orlina3) The Puzzle Mansion4) Sky Ranch5) Bag of Beans (or any resto you highly recommend)6) Memory Lane

I really hope you can help me prepare itinerary and directions so I would be able to provide an unforgettable experience for my family.

Hi, for a clearer understanding of Tagaytay's layout, check the map I posted above. What you can do is start from the farthest from the left (when facing the lake) then work your way to the right. So, People's Park first, then Picnic Grove, then Starbucks Coffee (Magallanes branch), then lunch at the nearby restaurants along Starbucks (Leslie's is the usual choice), then Paradizoo :)

Hi Justhine, I'm not sure where the terminals are for vans going back to Manila from Tagaytay. My guess is at the Mendez area. My advice, take a bus going back to Manila. Much easier, since you can get one right in front of Starbucks Magallanes, and cheaper.

It's actually a garden, but it has no view of the Taal Lake. Check my review of Sonya's Garden on the link above on where to eat in Tagaytay. Food is on the veggie side, but they also have pasta, chicken and pastries. :)

Hi christian tnx for posting. Me and my partner has 2 days to enjoy n visit tagaytay to clebrate our 7th anniv. We book a hotel at casa alegria. Does you places to visit and places to eat as listed above is along the way? Pra sna smooth sailin lng byahe nmin balak nmin mgpnta sa bag of beans,sonyas garden, puzzle museum, and to eat at mahogany bulalohan.

Most of the places I listed are relatively near Casa Alegria. Are you bringing a car with you? Your hotel is just a bit out of the way since it's not on the main road. If you have a car, then that wouldn't really be a problem. If you're commuting, you just have to make a bit of an effort. I'm pretty sure there are tricycles that can bring you to the main road where you can catch a jeepneey to get to the tourist spots in Tagaytay.

Hi Aileen, no problem then! It's very easy and straightforward to go to Tagaytay's tourist spots on car. For directions, you may check the map I posted above. Also, don't be shy to ask locals for directions :)

Hi Donnielyn, if you're coming from Manila, I suggest you book here (Taal Hike ). They have sharing options. This also saves a few hundreds since you won't have to go to Tagaytay, pick up is in Manila. After the hike, just ask the driver to drop you off to Tagaytay, if you want to stay in Tagaytay

Hi, I'm Lester. Thank you for this wonderful blog! I guess this will be my guide this coming weekend. I know it's too much but May I ask for the directions on how to go to people's park from Picnic Groove, To mahogany market from People's Park, To Skyranch from Mahogany Market, and Last, to Starbucks Tagaytay downhill from Skyranch. Thank you so mucccch!!